Dead battery...right?

[BlueOvalStangGT]

Todays the second time the cars had a drained battery. At first I figured I may have left a light on or something but it did it again today. I just wanted to make sure it could only be the battery thats bad. The car sits for a day and hten is out of juice then I can jump it, drive it for a while and it will start again if I go to get gas or wahtever the case may be (today it was buying goldfish ). What else could it be? I took my alternator apart to polish it if that makes a difference but that was like 3 weeks ago and its been fine before.

 

[HISSIN50]

I would have the system tested at a parts store. Or provide us with info about your diagnostics (volts and/or amperage readings you obtained, etc).

A bad battery is not necessarily it - it can get expensive to toss parts at it.

Good luck.

 

[iskwezm]

you have to make ure the brushes and armature are in right in the alternator,put a voltmeter on the battey and see if its charging or do a load test on the battery,might have a dead cell

 

[wytstang]

Sound like something is draining the batt. If you have a test light, clap it down to the postive side and touch the negetive side. If it lights up you have a draw from something.

 

[BlueOvalStangGT]

Well im officially screwed..... I went to meet some freinds cause they all came up from north palm beach and I went to Napa to get a new battery cause it was under warrenty. Well Napas over here suck so with the like .3 amount of tools I had I had to pull the battery myself. My negative terminal had a stripped bolt so we couldnt get that out. So I figured Ill just put the positive back on but that was already somewhat broken and when I tried to put it back on it just finished it. So I figure Ill just buy the stuff I need to put new terminals since im at Napa but they dont even have all the tools/parts to do it. So I bypassed my msd ignition and had a freind hold the wire to the battery and started the car and limped home. It sucked cause my car doesnt idle if the CE light is off so I had it revving at like 1700 at lights to make sure it wouldnt stall. Im sick of the car right now so imma let it sit in the parking lot for a few days until were back on "freinds" terms then ill start again. AAAAAAARHGHGHHGHG

 

[S/CBlack95GT]

Most likely it is a bad battery. If the battery is 4-5 years old it is more likely to be trashed once you drain it completely, they don't like that. I had the original battery in my car for about 4 years. I accidently left the interior light on for about a day and it drained the battery. I tried to recharge it but it was trashed and would not take a charge.

 

[nmcgrawj]

Most likely it is a bad battery. If the battery is 4-5 years old it is more likely to be trashed once you drain it completely, they don't like that. I had the original battery in my car for about 4 years. I accidently left the interior light on for about a day and it drained the battery. I tried to recharge it but it was trashed and would not take a charge.

I agree. If it was the alternator it would not run properly. But i would double check everything so if u buy a new battery, that one doesnt get trashed(although it would have a warranty).

Good luck man. I know how frustrating this crap can be...everyday i go outside and see my car just sitting there....

 

[CManT1914]

Yea, probably battery. When mine died, even recharging it didn't cut it. So I had to buy a new one and put my stock alternator pulley back on (damn underdrives).

 

[xr8d302]

Good luck man. I know how frustrating this crap can be...everyday i go outside and see my car just sitting there....

You have 408 reasons to wait...patiently.

 

[BlueOvalStangGT]

Ive had the battery for less then a year which is what got my worried but the car did sit for a while without a charge when I rebuilt my engine. Then with the constant stalling at stop lights and restarting 5-6 times every trip it probably jsut finished it off. Sat and Sun a bunch of my freinds came up and when I saw them putting 700+hp down on a mustang dyno it gave me the motivation to fix it. So I got a new battery under warrenty and bought nice new terminals and my roomate and i installed them in a hour. I dont know what I was complaining about earlier, it really wasnt that bad. Now I need to work on my tune, fix my A/C (again after 2 weeks), and raise my x-pipe up cause it hits everyhing. Then off to 11's !!

 

[HISSIN50]

what did you do with the hoop terminal connection at the battery? It looks like you have to cut the hoop apart and then add the part of the hoop that the bolt passed through to the new cable.

Or did you solder in the new terminals (mine are too short to be able to do that).

Just curious - I have a 2 AWG terminal and cable to upgrade, but I need to accomodate the starter cable.

Nice work.

 

[Nagash01WS6]

I hacked mine off. It was corroded. The new terminals have a deal that crimps down on the wire with two screws on either side. Strip wire, insert, tighten, walaa.

 

[BlueOvalStangGT]

Yeah I did the same as kyle, one terminal wouldnt budge so since I was getting a new battery anyways I just cut it off.

 

[HISSIN50]

Thanks guys. I moved some wires around and dont have the length to strip back any more insulation on my starter cable, but I know exactly what battery terminals you have and are talking about (been there and used them myself).

Thanks again.